Storage battery for boats.



Patented Oct. l5, i901.

R. MCA. LLYD. STORAGE BATTERY FOR BOATS.

I (Application led June 14, 1900.) (No Mod el.) 1

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W@ A TORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

ROBERT MCA. LLOYD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE ELECTRIC BOAT COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEIV JERSEY.

SPECIFICATION forming pere ef Lettere :Patent ive. 684,69*?, dated oeteber i5, 1901.

Application iiled June 14, 1900.

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT MOA. LLOYD, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city, county,and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Storage Batteries for Boats, &c., of which the following is a full and true description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, showing one form of my invention.

The objects of my invention are, rst, to thoroughly insulate the storage batteries from the machinery and from the hull of the boat or other body; second, to provide an acid-resisting battery-compartment for containing a plurality of batteries; third, to thoroughly insulate the said compartment; fourth, to provide an alarm or signal device for giving notice of the fact that a battery boX or jar has broken and the battery solution is leaking or escaping; it'th, to provide an insulated acid-proof tank into which the leaking or escaping solution will collect, and, sixth, to provide means for Ventilating the battery and especially for carrying oft the gases generated while the batteries are being charged.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an exterior view of an arrangement of parts embodying my invention; and Fig. 2 is a partlyesectional view showing the construction of the battery-l compartment, draining-box, and alarm-controlling device. Fig. 3 is'a sectional view of another form of alarm-controlling device.

A is the acid-resisting batterycompartment.

B is the draining-box for collecting the battery solution overflowing from batteries in the batteryecompartment or which has leaked Or escaped therefrom.

C and E are pipes for conducting the leaking or escaping solution, preferably through an alarm device D. Y

The forms of battery compartment and draining-box shown in the drawings are those preferred by me. Other suitable forms may of course be employed.

By preference the batterycompartment is composed of an outer box A, of steel or other metal, an interlining L, of wood or other non- Serial No. 20,375. (No model.)

conductive material, and an internal coating or lining of suitable acid-resistin g materialas, for instance, a sheathing M of lead having its joints or meeting edges soldered orvbrazed. 5 5

N indicates wooden beams or boards over the upper edge of the steel box and between the said steel and the lead interlining.

O, Fig. 3, indicates an insulating-lining in the pipe C, and P indicates an interlining of 6o acid-resisting materiala sheathing of lead, for instance-covering and protecting the same.

Q indicates a bowl or cup inthe alarm-controlling device D, mounted on a pivotal pin side of D and with its inner end directly un- 7o derneath the bowl Q, but out of contact therewith.

The pipe E, leading from the alarm-com trolling device D to the draining-box B, is

internally coated with a layer e of enamel or other insulating and acid-resisting material, and the draining-box B is also provided with an internal acid-resisting and insulating coating or lining T.

X X X indicate the battery-jars in the bat- 8O tery-box A. They maybe of any suitable construction or material; but I prefer that they shall be of the construction described and shown in my pending application for patent, Serial No. 37,870, filed November 27,

1900, for improvement in storage batteries. The battery-jars are separated and insulated from each other and from the battery-compartment by strips W ot' wood or other suitable material.

The battery-compartment is provided with a cover (such as the hinged cover U) which may be clamped down upon the box and rendered air or gas tight in any usual manner.

In operation if the battery solution is o5 spilled from a battery-jar or a jar has been broken or cracked the solution will collectin the bottom of the battery-box A and will run down through the pipe C and into the bowl or cup Q until the weight of the solution in Ioo said bowl overcomes the spring andthe bowl touches the contact S. This closes an elecd tric circuit, including an electric bell K and primary battery Z, and causes the bell to be continuously sounded, thereby giving an alarm.

Any other suitable combination of' parts, electrically operated or otherwise, for controlling an audible or visible signal (when a battery-jar breaks, leaks, or overiiows) may be employed. As an instance, the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 3 may be substituted for that already described. In that construction there are two metallic or other conductive pins s and s extending horizontally through the side walls of D and having their inner eX- tremities slightly separated immediately un'- derneath the lower end of pipe C. Theleaking or escaping battery solution comes down through the said pipe and falls between the points of the contacts and s', closing the circuit through said contacts, through the battery Z, bell K, and the conductors.

The addition of an alarm device results in several advantages. One of these is that iinmediate notice is given when a battery-jar leaks or breaks and the attendant can discover and remedy the difficulty. Whena battery-jar leaks or breaks, the level of the battery solution will come below the plates, permitting an arc to form between the plates, and there is grave liability that the gases in the battery will be exploded and the batterybox, and perhaps the boat itself, destroyed. This is especially true in the case of submarine boats,where the gases are confined within the closed hull and cannot escape.

During the charging of the battery gases 3 are generated in and thrown oft by theY solution, and in view of the fact that these gases are deleterious to health (ia very important consideration in submarine boats) and are explosive it is necessary to discharge them as speedily as possible outside of the hull.

In order to draw the gases from the battery-box A, I provide a pipe or tube F, leading from the interior of the battery-box to a point outside of the hull, and I also provide an exhaust-fan G (which may be driven by a pulley H and belt l), for' causing a draft ot airthrough the pipe and simultaneously drawing oli any gases trom the battery-compartment.

li provide means to assure a circulation of air through the battery-compartment while the gases are being drawn off. As shown, the coverU has an opening therein, with a screwplug U fitted therein. When the gases are to be drawn oli, the plug is removed and the entering air facilitates the removal of the gases.

A plug Y may be fitted in the upper end of the pipe F when desiredas, for instance, when the boat is submerged-or any other suitable means for the same purpose may be employed.

Avdisk-valve J provided at one end with ahandle J', is pivoted to swing between the lower end of the pipe F and the top of the ceased ing in the valve thrown into or out of regisacid-resistin g tank or compartment, of means for draining oft leaked or spilled battery solution and the combination, with a battery jar or compartment, especially when used in submarine boats, of means for drawing oft gases are not claimed in this specification, but constitute the .subject-matters of two ap'- 2 plications, Serial Nos. 47,403 and 47,404, tiled February 1, 1901, for Letters Patent of the United States. The preferred construction l of battery box or jar is more especially del scribed and claimed in an application, Serial No. 37,870,1iled by me Novem-ber 27, 1900, for' l Letters Patent of United States.

While I have herein shown and described preferred embodiments of my invention, yet

l do not desire to be understood as ccnn;

ing myself to said embodiments, as obviously modifications will readily suggest themselves l t0 skilled persons and still be within my invention.

1. In combination with a battery-compartment, a compartment for collecting leaked or spilled battery solution, an open connection between the two compartments, and means,

situated in the open connection, for giving warning of leaking or spilling, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2'. In combination with a battery-compartment, an open connection for leading thfere-4 I from leaked or spilled battery solution, and means, situated in the open connection, and

f in position to be operated by the escaping solution, for giving warning of leaking or spillf ing, substantially as and for the purpose scribed.

3'. In combination with a battery-compartt ment, an open connection for leading therefrom leaked or spilled battery solution, .and| a moving device, in position to be operatedl by the weight of leaked or spilled solution,

for giving warnin g of leaking or spilling, substantially as and for the purpose described.-

4. In combination with a battery-compartment, an open connection for leading therefrom leaked or spilled battery solution, a cir'- cuit-closer in position to be operated by the escaping solution andl electrical conductors from the circuit-closer to an alarm and source of current, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In combination with a battery-compartment, a movable cup for receiving leaked or spilled battery solution, a circuit-closer in position to be operated by the cup, an electrically-controlled alarm, and electrical conductors from. the circuit-closer to the alarm and source of current, substantially as and l for the purpose described.

G. In combination with a battery-comparttion to be operated by leaked or spilled solu; tion, and means for exhausting gases from the batterycompartment, substantially as and for the purpose described. L

In witness whereof l have hereunto signed my name this 12th day vof June, 1900.

ROBERT MGA. LLoYD.

In presence of-n- JAMES J. CoseRovE, HECTOR H. I-IAVEMEYEE. 

